


In My Veins

by alisha_winchester_collins



Category: Reylo - Fandom, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Episode IX AU, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Post-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rey Kenobi, reylo au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-24 05:29:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13206978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alisha_winchester_collins/pseuds/alisha_winchester_collins
Summary: Set after the events of TFA that lead directly into Episode IX, written before and not directly related or connected to TLJ in any way, my first Reylo fic that took 23 months to finish!





	In My Veins

_ “ _ _ Rey Kenobi.” _

Two words, that's all it takes. Two words that call out to her inside her mind and Rey jumps up, startled as she recognizes the voice. It's  _ him _ . He's here.

“How?” Rey whispers to herself, turning around from the waterfall where she had been bathing, half shocked that he is here at the Resistance base and half embarrassed at her inability to sense him despite their… unique… connection that they shared through the Force.

She has a million thoughts racing through her brain as she runs across the pathways, wondering what was happening. Where were the others? Why did it suddenly feel so silent? Would Master Luke and General Leia have already sensed his arrival? What was he even doing here? All of her thoughts were soon to be answered as Rey finally reached the clearing where she saw… everyone. Each person who fought for the Resistance was gathered there, not just Luke and Leia; Finn and Poe were there as well, standing beside Chewie and C3-PO and R2-D2 and BB-8, her friends, her family, they all seemed to be asking the same question even though no one dared to speak out loud - why was Kylo Ren standing there not fifty feet away?

_ “I am alone.”  _ Kylo’s voice spoke once again in Rey’s mind; he had clearly sensed that she was nearby even if he couldn't see her. Yet.

_ “What. Do. You. Want?”  _ Rey couldn't help but ask before she came face to face with him.

_ “I have come to tell you that it is over.”  _ Kylo replied and in that moment, Rey recognized something she hadn't picked up on earlier; the tone of his voice. It was calm. 

Somehow, that revelation caused Rey to let out a shuddering gasp. She had just arrived to see everyone instinctively turn their heads around to stare at her as they wordlessly moved out of the way to let her pass through them. All eyes were on her; Poe looking menacing, Finn ever-ready for a fight, Leia stunned at the sight of her son and Luke, who seemed neither surprised nor angry, in fact, Rey was finding it hard to determine her Master's expression, but as they locked gazes, she wondered if… he had known that Kylo would be here.

Now she saw him; standing stiff at the far end of the clearing, alone but still masked, his red lightsaber crackling even after all this time. Without hesitation, Rey's hands reached for her own lightsaber and turned it on, walking slowly towards him, Kylo Ren.

_ “Two years.”  _ She thought to herself, making sure that her mental shields were up,  _ “It’s been two years since Snoke, so why now?”  _ Rey was truly puzzled by the situation she had suddenly found herself in. 

After everything that had transpired between them the first time around at Takodana first and later on the Starkiller base, Rey had soon found Master Luke and began training with him to be a Jedi. And though it felt like another lifetime ago, Rey knew it had been…  _ five _ years since that first meeting with Kylo in the forest. During that time, she had come to learn the truth about her parents, her grandfather being none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi himself. There was also the matter of constantly struggling with her impulse to give in to her Dark side which Rey had always felt, ever since her powers awakened, but which she never succumbed to… despite some close calls. Most, if not all of those instances had been due to one person, the man standing in front of her. Armed but not attacking. 

“You wanted to see me?” Rey spoke out loud once she'd stopped at a safe distance from him. 

Her heart was unsurprisingly calm; she had trained herself to control her emotions over the years and yet… seeing him with her own two eyes, not through the bond, not hearing his voice from distant planets away, Rey couldn’t deny the unmistakable… feeling of longing. She wondered if that was what he felt too. This connection between them had caused them both to realize that not everything was black or white in the Galaxy… in themselves… 

“Yes. I did.” The voice which answered, breaking through Rey’s thoughts was still the same mechanical voice of a man hidden behind his mask, revealing nothing. 

“Why?” She was better trained in the ways of the Force now, not yet a Jedi, but he knew that all too well given the last fight between them had nearly ended in tragedy had they not… Rey didn't need to dwell on that now. 

“I told you, it is over.” Kylo repeated his words to her with such patience that Rey still couldn't fathom him being capable of. 

She knew what he was referring to though. Master Luke and General Leia knew it, so did everyone else. And the rest of the universe too. The Dark Side had been destroyed. Permanently. Gone were the Sith Lords, the Stormtroopers, the Generals and Officers, the Knights of Ren; they were all gone. Mostly because of Kylo. 

“Is it really over?” Rey asked him, wondering what his plan was if there was nothing left to destroy.

“Yes. The last remnants have been dealt with, General Hux and Captain Phasma are no longer a threat.” Kylo had been the one to personally see to Supreme Leader Snoke’s end, something which Rey wouldn't have believed had she not been there to see it with her own eyes.

“So? Why are you here?” Rey kept her voice steady as she stood her ground, he didn't unnerve her anymore. Or she was better at hiding the truth.

“I need… your… help.” There it was, a slip of his composure, a glimpse into what he was really thinking. 

“Sorry, what was that? I didn't catch the last bit.” She had not forgotten about the dozens of people watching this scene unfolding behind her, but Rey figured it gave her time to come up with a plan.

“Enough.” Kylo said firmly. 

He didn't waste another minute talking; instead he made his move in two quick steps that Rey would have missed if she wasn't paying attention to him. Before she could even react, his red lightsaber was switched off and the black mask removed.

Amidst the surprised gasps which followed, as everyone took in the real face of their enemy, Rey unmistakably heard a soft voice that she knew all too well.

“Ben.” Leia breathed her son's name as she saw him. The real him. 

Rey wanted to tell the older woman that there was no ‘Ben Solo’ anymore. That this was Kylo Ren, the man who had murdered his own father. And yet, she realized that she was wrong;  _ he _ had defeated the Dark Side, turned against his own people and slaughtered hundreds possibly. He had not quite turned to the light, but Rey knew he was neither Kylo Ren nor Ben Solo. Not yet perhaps.

“There remains one last person who is linked with the Dark Side. You must end it. Now.” And tossing away his lightsaber, Rey saw the man in front of her, kneel down… unarmed and ready to… die?

For several long moments, no one spoke, no one dared to breathe, no one moved as all eyes were on the two Force-wielders. Everything had stilled. Rey, who held her lightsaber, blue to Kylo’s red, frowned as she observed him; was this another trick? Another temptation to seduce her to the Dark? She would be lying if the lightsaber in her hand didn’t twitch for a split second, but instead of making a move to do something impulsively, Rey chose to break the silence first.

“What proof do you have?” She asked Kylo, “You claim that everything has been destroyed and you show up here empty handed? Some of us might have doubts.” Not her, she wanted to tell him,  _ “I believe you” _ were the words from her heart, but if he could hear her through the bond, he said nothing.

“Proof that only you can see Rey.” Was all Kylo managed to say to her.

Before Rey or anyone else - Luke especially - could react, Kylo closed his eyes and opened his mind. Opened the bond. For the first time in all the years that they were connected to each other, the Force link between them was unraveled to the fullest. The enormity of Kylo’s action reverberated throughout the entire base, that even though not everyone could sense it as the Skywalker siblings did, they all knew that something had shifted in the air around them.

To her credit, even though this was the last thing Rey had expected, the second she felt the surge of power overwhelming her mind, she planted her feet firmly and stood her ground. And as he had said, Kylo was showing her proof - and so much more - this was not just Kylo Ren, leader of the Knights of Ren, grandson of Darth Vader, this was Ben Solo, the fallen son of Leia Organa and Han Solo, this was one man baring his soul open. And Rey saw everything; not just memories of the Dark side being systematically destroyed, enemies weakened, foundations shattered, she found herself experiencing all of his past memories as well, from his childhood, from his years training with Luke, from before he was even born, when Leia could sense a darkness around her unborn child. Her heart was breaking from experiencing the pain and suffering and torment that he had felt for his entire life. Past and present was soon intertwined with the future; scenes of possibilities, as clear as crystal, unfolding in her mind. And then there he was. The sight of Kylo there took Rey by surprise, but instead of pulling out, the Force link continued expanding and soon she found  _ herself _ unraveling.

_ “Forgive me… I feel it again… the pull to the light.” _

_ “Don’t be afraid, I feel it too.” _

_ “I can show you the ways of the Force!”  _

_ “The belonging you seek is not behind you.” _

_ “Rey… these are your first steps.” _

Memories, visions, feelings, thoughts, emotions, Rey’s, Kylo’s, everything started to meld together; time was of no consequence anymore… but just when she thought it was over, Rey gasped and opened her eyes to see… darkness at first. She was vaguely aware of the fact that she stood somewhere that existed out of reality, she was no longer on the base with her friends and family, neither was Kylo with her, she could sense them… muted in a way. As soon as her eyes adjusted to the dark however, Rey noticed something else. A flicker of light. She had no way of knowing what exactly it was, but somehow she knew that this would take her back. Was it the Force that called to her? She couldn’t be sure, what else could it be if not that? 

“ _ Rey _ .” Kylo’s voice called out to her, but she could not tell if he was there with her or his physical self from the real world. 

Without hesitation, Rey walked towards the source of the light, shielding her eyes from the bright glow that started to envelop her completely. The next thing she was aware of, was the fact that she had returned back to her physical self. Without having left or moved an inch from where she stood in front of Kylo, Rey had just experienced something she could not put a name to. What she had beheld in the light though… that was… 

“Stop this!” The voice that suddenly broke through the crowd again was a desperate one, Leia’s voice.

It took Rey a blink of an eye to realize why the General had suddenly cried out in horror; her lightsaber was but an inch away from Kylo’s neck. When or how that had happened she couldn’t tell - he had remained kneeling in front of her, head held high and those dark brown orbs unwavering from their gaze on her. 

“Rey… you don’t have to do this.” Leia spoke once more, she was no longer a Resistance Leader, a General, a Princess, she was just a mother who still held out hope for her son.

“You know what you need to do.” Kylo interjected without a moment’s pause on hearing his mother’s pleas.

“Yes. Yes I do know.” Rey said, loud enough for everyone to hear her words. 

She turned off her lightsaber and to the surprise and utter shock of her friends and family, Rey tossed it aside; but that was not all… she kept her attention focused on Kylo as she held out a hand towards him. Confused, bewildered, uncertain, these emotions and many others that Rey could recognize registered on Kylo’s face as he stared at the outstretched hand. He had no idea what it was that Rey had seen, no one else knew. And yet… despite everything… Kylo found himself reaching out his hand and grasping hers. He had no idea what her plan was, but with all eyes on the two of them, Kylo wondered when the momentary peace would break. 

“No one else needs to die. Not today, not ever.” There was a whirlpool of feelings within her as she kept the last words to herself,  _ “Not you. Never you.” _

Now that they stood face to face once more, Rey decided that it was time for  _ her _ to reveal what the Force had shown her. She moved her hand away from Kylo’s and reached up to touch his cheek, closing her eyes and opening the bond to him. Without fear. 

“What is going on?” Finn’s loud whisper broke through the uneasy silence that had fallen once again, he and others were getting restless though no one dared to leave. 

“It’s the Force connection between them,” Luke answered softly, his expression unreadable as he observed his student and his nephew, “They are linked deeper than ever and the bond is open now.”

“What does that mean?” 

“It means… the tide may yet change.” 

And so they waited. Each and every one of them waited with bated breaths as they watched the scene unfolding in front of their eyes. Here was one of the most powerful Force Users since Luke Skywalker himself, the descendant of Obi-Wan Kenobi, who stood her ground against the descendant of Anakin Skywalker, who had fallen to the Dark Side just as his grandfather had. But what no one could predict in that moment was that she was not Rey Kenobi nor was he the grandson of Darth Vader, they were simply two people bound together by something much more deeper, complex and intangible that  _ still _ could not be easily explained. 

The Force was a mysterious and ever-changing presence that surrounded the entire Galaxy, stretching throughout the universe, past the planets and stars, touching every living entity. One could say that the Force may have had a mind of its own, for the ways in which it worked may not always be understood until It was ready to  _ be _ understood. What Rey witnessed in that momentary glimpse of light within her bond with Kylo was the very essence of their connection - unintentional or not, she had fallen into the depths of the Force link and in there, lay the answer. And for the first time, perhaps in his entire life, Kylo Ren, the boy who was once Ben Solo, finally saw the truth. In an instant, the bond was closed once more, and both Rey and Kylo were thrown back into reality. 

“What… what was that?” Seemingly disoriented as he readjusted to his surroundings, Kylo turned to face Rey, demanding an explanation.

“You know what that was… you saw what I saw.” Rey answered him calmly.

“I don’t… I don’t understand… that isn’t… that couldn’t be… possible.” He shook his head, as if unable to comprehend what the Force had revealed.

“It is possible. You just have to let yourself believe…” Rey took a step closer to where he stood, “Ben, look at me. Please.” It was the first time she had used that name, his birth name, and it got his attention.

“ _ No _ .” His refusal was not to her request, for he matched her gaze with an equal fire as always; it was the foolish notion that after everything was said and done, after everything that  _ he _ had done, there was an answer that did not end in his death.

“I know what you’ve done, I’ve seen everything that you’ve seen, witnessed it with my own eyes, everyone here knows it too… but what they don’t know yet… what they will come to understand… is that there is always another way.” Another step forward towards him. “You’re not a Sith, I’m not a Jedi, we don’t have to be one or the other. There is a  _ balance _ that exists.  _ We _ can be that balance.” 

And this time, she chose to not let Kylo - Ben - refute her claims. Instead of saying anything else, she simply closed the distance between the two of them and… embraced him. It didn’t matter what everyone was thinking, this was their moment.

“I forgive you.” She whispered in his ear, knowing that this was all she had to say and what he needed to hear.

Standing there, holding him in her arms, Rey waited for a heartbeat… two heartbeats… three heartbeats… and then she felt it before it happened; the second he allowed even the tiniest bit of  _ hope _ inside him was all that it took. His arms slowly and carefully wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer and letting himself believe… that the Force was right - they were Pure of Light and Pure of Darkness, two sides to the same coin, not the Chosen One but the Chosen Two. This was not the end of Kylo Ren’s story, it was the beginning of Ben Solo and Rey Kenobi’s story. Together.

“Rey?” 

“Yes?”

“I think I love you.”

“I think I love you too Ben.”

 


End file.
